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kareilaI don't know anyone who has read To Kill A Mockingbird and hasn't loved it, and I don't know anyone who has learned of Harper Lee's withdrawal from public life and refusal to write another novel without being fascinated and curious about her. Of course, I live in Alabama, where her life has taken on the force of myth, so I'm sure that factors into it.
This book is the story of a reporter's journey to Monroeville to write a feature about Mockingbird for the Chicago Tribune, and the unlikely and gradual friendship with the Lee sisters that resulted from that trip. When Mills became too ill to continue her newspaper job, they encouraged her to rent the house next door and conduct interviews and research for a definitive, authorized book about their lives, to counteract the many unauthorized accounts that had proliferated over the years. The book doesn't always follow a straightforward path from point A to point B, but it does provide a fascinating view into small town life with two brilliant, fiercely independent women. Mills strikes me as a remarkably genuine and humble presence, which is probably why she gained their trust when so many others had failed.
When I went to recommend this book to a friend, I noticed some negative reviews on Amazon pointing out that Harper Lee released a statement saying that she had withdrawn consent for the book before it was published. However, Alice Lee, other close friends, and the publisher all stood behind it, and given the new controversy surrounding the publication of Go Set A Watchman, I'm reluctant to believe that Harper Lee is still in control of her own business affairs. But wherever the truth lies, good writing speaks for itself, and I enjoyed this book immensely.
This book is the story of a reporter's journey to Monroeville to write a feature about Mockingbird for the Chicago Tribune, and the unlikely and gradual friendship with the Lee sisters that resulted from that trip. When Mills became too ill to continue her newspaper job, they encouraged her to rent the house next door and conduct interviews and research for a definitive, authorized book about their lives, to counteract the many unauthorized accounts that had proliferated over the years. The book doesn't always follow a straightforward path from point A to point B, but it does provide a fascinating view into small town life with two brilliant, fiercely independent women. Mills strikes me as a remarkably genuine and humble presence, which is probably why she gained their trust when so many others had failed.
When I went to recommend this book to a friend, I noticed some negative reviews on Amazon pointing out that Harper Lee released a statement saying that she had withdrawn consent for the book before it was published. However, Alice Lee, other close friends, and the publisher all stood behind it, and given the new controversy surrounding the publication of Go Set A Watchman, I'm reluctant to believe that Harper Lee is still in control of her own business affairs. But wherever the truth lies, good writing speaks for itself, and I enjoyed this book immensely.
